The cover immediately caught my eye and led me to explore this book, and I’m glad I did. Gardner’s book follows seventeen-year-old Carson and Davis, who are each struggling with difficult issues. Carson is an aspiring ballerina who was recently diagnosed with bone cancer. Davis is a cancer survivor and a recovering drug addict. While this has the potential to be a depressing read, it isn’t. It is one of the most inspiring reads I’ve read in some time, as there are key themes of hope and strength. The characters could easily succumb to their circumstances and give up, but they don’t.

In the author’s note, she mentions that she’s a cancer survivor, as well, which adds a level of authenticity to the story. Descriptions are vivid, and the characters’ emotions and dialogue are realistic. There is solid character development, and the reader has a front row seat into the treatments and procedures throughout the story. Secondary characters are well utilized. Gardner was “brave enough” to show a realistic YA story that should be on every teen’s TBR pile (and adults, too).

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

I met this author at a meet and greet for Nic Stone and Scott Reitgen. We sat beside each other and she filled me in on this complete gem of a book. This is a great read for someone who feels like they are not represented enough in young adult literature. This story is flowing and beautiful from start to finish. The author has experience with these hardships and you can tell by her writing that this is something she is connected with. I will read anything by this author.

I really did enjoy this book. It felt real, raw and close. I can't relate to the illness that Cason has but I can relate to being sick. That some things just hits you so hard. I don't know enough about addiction either, but I found the portrayal realistic enough for me and it felt close. Like I could feel it. I also liked that the author showed that there are options out there. That you can get help.

Also, the cover is spectacular! I'd absolutely recommend people to pick this one up.

Brave Enough is a touching story about two teens, Cason and Davis, who are both somewhat opposites besides the fact that cancer has ruined both of their lives. Although the messages within this story were there, I felt that it was a pretty basic story. The fact that it went a bit into a recovering teen addict, was a different perspective than what I have read in other books. I also learned about different types of cancer and I hardly have read books about cancer. I would have liked to see more depth with the story itself because the book was pretty short. I did like the characters because both had a goal and tried to accomplish them, even through the bumps in the road that made them almost give up. I would definitely pick this book up just to get a feeling of motivation and to realize that not every life is easy and not every life has a clear path. Anything can happen.

I started off alittle nervous about this book because it’s not something I usually read; but my god I fell in love with it. It’s a book bout struggling to cope as your world is ripped away and turned upside down. I found it’s a topic some people are scared to talk about. Having family who have gone through similar events it hits home for me and I could not be happier with how it was all betrayed. I loved the characters and felt that I could feel everything they did. I can not wait to read more from this author.

*thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

This was so completly enjoyable! I fell into the story right away and stayed in it until the end. It's so heartfelt and wonderfully written. Plus it is based on the author's own personal story though parts are fictional, alot was based on her life and journey with Cancer. I would have prefered the Authors Note to have been at the start of the book because I feel that it changes how you read the story, with knowing from the start that this book is partly true. 

Carson is such a strong girl who is having to deal with one of the worst diseases a person can suffer through. Her own struggles are very real and I instantly felt a connection with her. On her way to being the best Ballerina at a very well known Dance company, her world is utterly shattered. Davis is a character who is battling drug addiction. I found this character to also be very realistic and as someone who also suffers an addiction, I can say that at times, this was a bit triggering. So just a warning for anybody who has an addiction with either drugs, food etc. I really liked Davis though. His strength and self control was at the height of amazing. He is definitely a character to look up to. There is little romance in this book but it is not mainly focused on. I feel it was just the right amount. 

Lastly, this cover! Ohh my god this cover is just simply beautiful!! Definitely one of my favourites for this year. I highly recommend this. It is an excellent YA story for anybody but expecually those with an interest in Cancer or Dance.

Can we take a look at the cover first. The cover is AMAZING! So pretty

I read a handful of protaginist have cancer themed books, and I'm sure all of them left me broken and wheeping on the floor. *I'm looking at you TFIOS* and the first time I read the blurb of this book I told myself, another one that will leave me heart broken. My heart was ready to be attached with the characters and the story then both or worse one one of them dies at the end. This book dissapointed me.

You must be wondering why dissapointed? I was expecting that this book will leave me broken but it didn't. It left me hopeful and lucky. It made md felt that my weaknesses are only a part of me and doesn't define me.

Davis and Cason has their own ups and down (mostly down) Davis is a cancer survivor and is struggling with drug sobriety. Cason was one of the best ballerina when she had the injury. I felt their struggles, their lowest points. When Davis was in the verge of using again, I was holding my breath praying for him not to. When Cason shuts everyone after her surgery, and found out she was accepted in the best ballet program. I felt frustrated and almost asked God what did she do to deserve this. Fortunately, they both have great family and friends though Cason's mother was a bitch I was glad she changed heart as the story went by. Their friends are very supportive, the campers at Camp Chemo. I also got attached to them, they also shared their own struggles.

If you're wondering if this book is a romance, no it is not. Davis and Cason love each other, they have conncetions but this story is their story, separately. It doesn't evolve only on the their love but also love of life, family, and friends, I think without these kinds of love, the two won't survive the challenges they are facing.

I like how it was written in third person point of view. It was not filled with medical jargon we don't understand. For me, it is perfect. It made cry and laugh, I felt that I was with them as one of their friends playing Uno cards and supporting them all the way.

I reccomend this to everyone who is now struggling and still finding what their purpose in life, this book may not find it but I hope this book may give you hope that you will find it. Also those who just want to read some inspiring story, this is perfect for you.

Why 5 stars? It is realistic and even if it was a cliffhanger,  it ended beautifully though I hope there will be more. I love how the characters in this story is connected and how they complete each other.  A beautiful and inspiring story.

I love this book. At first I was expecting another a fault in our stars novel but no, this one offers depth and personal struggle that I don’t really get in fault in our stars. Centering on an uprising ballerina that diagnose with cancer on her audition, and a recovering addict slash cancer survivor. Yes, the love will bloom and spring on the air. But aside from light romance, this book satisfy me in term of character development and we really get to understand the personal struggle of our main protagonists.


Turn out this book is written by cancer survivor as well, that’s why the story is really realistic. Kudos for Kati Gardner for superb and well written debut.

Brave Enough is a nice read. Emotional at times. I really wanted to like it. It was ok for me. Some parts I found really slow, too slow to actually enjoy it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I'm not going to lie, this book made me cry in the last few chapters. It was such a real book, that I could feel the emotions of the characters. I really enjoyed the journey and ups and downs of the book. 

This book is about a ballerina named Cason, who is diagnosed with bone cancer in her leg. Davis is an overcoming addict who had cancer when he was younger. 

I loved Cason as a main character, at first I thought she might be stuck up, but then I realized that she was just a young girl, trying to find her place in the world after being diagnosed with cancer. 

Natalie - Cason's mom, was also a character that I enjoyed seeing blossom.

Another thing I loved about this book was the band of secondary characters, they were all well-formed and all had personalities of their own. I also loved that their was diversity to the characters. 

The last few chapters of this book flew by for me, seeing Cason and Davis find hope in their own ways was inspiring and captivating. Also learning that the author also had cancer made it so much more real & authntic to me as a reader.

Cason is prima ballerina and loves to dance, after all her mum is her teacher too but while trying to perform, she hides an injury which turns her career upside down when it's discovered to be a cancerous tumor and causes her life to change drastically. Her in control mum, Natalie, seems to believe it's all a blip at first and if very shut off about the subject towards her daughter, seeming cold and distant as she tries to cope with the fact that her daughter is seriously unwell and that it will effect her whole life.



Davis is serving community service at his old oncology ward while having trouble from his ex Alexis whom still uses drugs where as Davis is now clean of drugs thanks to rehab but using still plagues his mind as he often see's his dealer still hanging round.



As the pair find themselves crossing path, their lives intertwine and they share friends and situations which help them both such as a fellow patient, Mari talking about her experience with Cason.



I liked the premise of this book as a huge Lurlene McDaniels fan and a ballet fan this book is my ideal collision and once again, this book didn't let me down and I loved it. The way the plot went on was great and I wouldn't have wanted it to go any other way at all. Davis and Cason both had struggles which were believable and the way Natalie faced things was a harsh reality check at how it can change all lives involved and effected by cancer.



It has serious topics at the heart of it but it will leave you feelings grateful for all the good you have in your own life and appreciate even more what you have.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

*Thanks you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This story was enchanting and drew me in. It gave me somehow the Fault in Our Stars, just with more layers to it. I loved the characters. Cason blew me away, and I loved Davis. I also don’t normally read contemporary books, but this one made me want to read it all the time!
I loved seeing Cason and Davis’ inner turmoil, and that addicted voice in the back of Davis’ mind quickly became my worst enemy.
Some of the plot made me want to cry my heart out and in the middle of the book, I just took a break. I couldn’t take it, I just had to stop crying. Why do I cry so much? I can’t explain that.
Also a plus is that this cover is gorgeous. Just look at it!
I also loved how Gardner took something from her own life, that probably isn't good memories, and turned it into something beautiful.

A book reminiscent of the Fault in Our Stars, but with a different twist: drug addiction.

I loved watching Cason and Davis come together. Their love story is sweet, and real. Each of them had their own internal struggles that they had to come to terms with before standing together.

Gardner draws on her own personal story to create a beautiful, fictional version.

Pain, turmoil, and loss of dreams are something that most of us will deal with at some point, but only a few experience it on such an intense level.

I enjoyed this good, quick read and thought it had a lot of qualities that are appreciative to a contemporary YA novel.

This story is about Cason and Davis. Cason is the youngest ballerina in the Atlanta Ballet Conservatory, But her life is turned a 360 degree when she gets diagnosed with Bone Cancer. Davis has survived cancer, but his drug addiction nearly killed him. Now 7 months sober sentenced to do community service on the cancer ward where he was treated, his life collides with Cason where she is also being treated….

The title of this book fits this story so well. This book is so bloody positive through and through. Being BRAVE is the theme throughout both Cason’s and Davis’s arc.

Things i liked:
– Cason’s Journey; I quite enjoyed her arc. The journey from shock to acceptance and moving on (to some level).
– Davis’ struggle; The representation and the struggle of a former addict and all the temptation he faced all around and how real it was.
– How there were no extra over the top villains; this was one of my favorite thing about this book. It didn’t had to make things and events extra like a soap opera. Like people asked for help and were able to maintain strength through out. Like no bad guys got away with being shit ass!
– All the help that was around when it was needed; i loved that their were so many people around to help all the support groups. It was just so positive and empowering that yes you can do this. And so many people are yes indeed around you rooting for you!!
– The representation of the disabled and sick; Their are so many diverse and disable and recovering people in this book. And all their view, struggles are discussed.
– Addiction Talk This book deals extensively with addiction, i found it so positive. It has like such a big message that YES HELP IS HERE FOR YOU! I loved that and their were support groups and the NA meeting. And how the parents, doctors and friends around were so supportive and helpful.
– Authenticity Since this book draws from the authors own experience with cancer. This felt real and genuine.
– Side Supporting Characters: Each one of the side characters were so different, fun diverse and supportive.

Things i didn’t like:
-The insta love: I am so sad about this tbh. It had so much potential sigh like so bloody much!! But they ruined it. The like so instantly fall together ugh, it could have worked so well if it didn’t just happen in an instant. I mean she doesn’t even know him other than his name from school, when they meet and BAAM they end up together.
– Camp: The camp is mentioned like 3948348 times through out the book and in the end we just get glimpse of like two to three events not even day!??!?!?!?
– The mom Oh she start as such villain and a bitch but than she out of nowhere get a conscience?
-Lack of back story for: The story starts with the feeling that Davis knows of Cason and maybe kinda likes her. But we never get why and how he knew her from school.

Overall this book is filled with a nice, positive and authentic representation of cancer patients, survivors and addiction. You should definitely pick it up for that alone!…

I feel like such a party pooper. I really wanted to love this one and at some moments while reading, I actually did! Unfortunately though, there's a but. Like, a huge but. But let's start with the positives, shall we? Because they were there, despite what my rating might have you believe.

Call me shallow, but first, just look at that cover. The cover was THE reason I was drawn to this book on netgalley in the first place. It's just breathtakingly beautiful and I mean, holy crap just look at it. Second, I absolutely adore books with a protagonist who's completely passionate about art or sports, or anything remotely like that and guess what? Brave Enough has its own MC who is absolutely devoted to dancing and that was totally cool. Also, the plot took an unexpected (in a good way) turn imo, I had not really expected the developments that followed Carson's injury.

But, there were also lots of things that annoyed me. Reading the synopsis, it's pretty obvious that this book revolves mainly about, besides Carson's injury and Davis' addiction, their growing feelings for each other. Which is fine, I mean it was expected and if done right, it was gonna be epic! Unfortunately, there's a big insta-love-alert necessary for this book. I mean, it took what, a few days for them to confess to each other that they liked one another? It just went so fast, I didn't even have the time to root for them. Also, the character development felt off, the secondary characters - though pretty important - were very flat, and I don't know... Despite the one unexpected turn in events, this was pretty cliche and I think I just expected a lot more? The ending was a little too much of a aw yay, let's ride towards the rainbow on the backs of our unicorns!! for me even though it was clear that the author was trying to avoid that with Davis in particular. Keyword: trying.

To be fair though, there were moments where I had to smile or squeal so that was definitely a good thing. I might even change my rating to a three stars instead of the two stars I'm giving it now, but I'm not sure yet. This was a quick, light read so it might be just for you! I'm just a little bit of a cynical person, sorry XD

(Goodreads 14 March 2018. Amazon: 21 Aug 2018, expected publication date)
4.5 stars.
What a delight to read!
There’s an authenticity and truthfulness in this story that captured me and made me read it in one setting. Kati Gardner writes realistically and accurately about cancer and cancer treatments, but, above all, about young people dealing with the disease (and other serious issues). The medical/clinical knowledge, details, experiences, feelings about very young people with cancer are absolutely believable, poignant and heartbreaking sometimes, sweet and endearing other times: the meaning behind Davis’ “smile with a wink” and the inspiration for it are an example of an author deeply committed to her story and subject. In the afterword, we’ll know where, to some extent, that experience comes from, but there’s also lots of talent telling a story with likeable main and secondary characters, handling serious issues with know-how, sensitivity and humor.
I loved how Davis and Cason spent so much time with each other and enjoyed their emotional closeness before they even kissed. Davis’ struggle is so hard and poignant to read, and so well dramatized. Cason is a beautiful character too.
And I’d love to read more about these complex and compelling characters, perhaps Kati Gardner would consider a sequel…

***Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of BRAVE ENOUGH in exchange for my honest review.***

When ballerina Cason is diagnosed with bone cancer in her leg, she fears her life is over. Davis is currently cancer free, almost a year clean and sentenced to community service on the cancer ward where he was treated. The two teens may just be able to help each other survive their difficulties.

Debut writer Kati Garner, a cancer survivor, based BRAVE ENOUGH loosely on some of her experiences. Billed as a YA novel, BRAVE ENOUGH felt more like a story kids in middle school would enjoy. The predictability, insta-romance and trope characters may bore older teens, but tween readers will be drawn to the drama. I’m also a cancer survivor and was glad for the realistic portrayal of cancer and chemo,

Readers who like Lurlene McDaniel will enjoy BRAVE ENOUGH.

This book was lovely.

I've never read about childhood cancer so I was a little apprehensive about how intense it was going to be. At the same time, I was also worried about how real the situation was going to feel. After reading the author's note about how she had the same kind of cancer as Cason, it made it feel all the more real.

Cason's story was incredibly heartbreaking. Her fears and anger were so real and heartfelt that it made me so sad for her. I loved how she pushed through her pain, but also allowed herself to feel all the emotions and grief that came from her journey.

Davis was such a great character. His cancer didn't really come in to play much in this book beyond having a connection to Cason. His struggle with addiction felt very real and I can only imagine that's what other people with addiction go through on a daily basis. For being as young as he is he showed incredible strength and I think other young people who are suffering from the same disease can really draw strength from his story. I wish there was an epilogue so we could see how he was doing 3 years from the end of the book.

I loved every last one of the secondary characters. They all had amazing stories to tell and they accepted Cason with open arms. I loved the little bits of their storyline that we got to see, too. Especially Mari, she was probably my favorite.

If you're worried about being a crying blubbering mess through the whole book, you won't be. I cried through the last maybe 10% of the book because mushy moments always get to me. Overall, I do recommend this book.